In one of the more intriguing tech tales of late, a blog site ended up in possession of what is believed to be a prototype iPhone 4G that was either left, lost, or stolen in a Silicon Valley bar.

Last weekend, Engadget posted photos of what appeared to be a yet-to-be-announced, next-generation Apple device that was allegedly found on the floor of a bar in San Jose, Calif. A tipster had apparently sent the photos to the gadget blog for posting.

Nick Denton, CEO of Gizmodo parent company Gawker Media, later acknowledged that he paid $5,000 to the person who possessed the phone after it was reportedly lost in a bar by an Apple software engineer Gray Powell. One publication has even noted that Gawker may have violated California laws on the buying of "stolen property."